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Thursday, March 20, 2014

U.K. is Top Source Nation in 2013 for U.S. Imports of Archaeological, Historical, and Ethnological Goods

Switzerland in 2012 was the #1 source of archaeological, historical, and ethnological material imported into the United States. But U.S. import values from that country fell by 99.8%, leaving the former second place finisher, the United Kingdom, to take the top spot in 2013 as measured by declared customs values of consumable goods.Data compiled from tariff and trade information supplied by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission reveal this latest picture of imports classified by Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) commodity code 9705.00.0070.The overall total customs value of archaeological, historical, or ethnological goods imported into the U.S. in 2013 amounted to a declared value of $45,647,923, an increase of 22% from 2012. Imports received from the U.K. jumped nearly 54%, totaling $11,451,019. And the U.K. and Egypt together made up nearly half of the $45 million of American imports.

Import values from Egypt skyrocketed 105% at a time of political instability and upheaval. There is a Red List covering cultural heritage from that nation.

Photo credit: Athewma

Israel, which has a legally regulated antiquities market, saw its U.S. import values climb 97%.India, a source of highly prized artifacts among American collectors, saw a jump of 3805% in its U.S. import values.Mali, once on the top 20 list of source countries, experienced a 79% collapse in 2013 after the White House, in September 2012, extended import restrictions on endangered Malian cultural heritage. Conakry Terminal on the port city of neighboring Guinea, meanwhile, continues to grow. And in 2013, American archaeological, historical, or ethnological imports from Guinea totaled $347,100, up from $0 the previous year.Imports from war-torn Syria spiked 1375%. A Red List for threatened cultural heritage is in effect.
The top 20 source countries in 2013 by customs value for archaeological, historical, or ethnological goods were, in descending order, U.K., Egypt, Italy, Democratic Republic of Congo, Germany, Greece, France, Israel, Australia, India, Gabon, Congo, Argentina, Denmark, Norway, Japan, Canada, Guinea, Lebanon, and Spain.The full list of HTS 9705.00.0070 data is reproduced in the table below. More 2012 data is found here.

HTS Number

Country

2012

2013

Percent Change2012 - 2013

In Actual Dollars

9705000070

United Kingdom

7,446,021

11,451,019

53.8%

9705000070

Egypt

5,186,166

10,655,752

105.5%

9705000070

Italy

4,189,800

3,972,732

-5.2%

9705000070

Congo (DROC)

0

3,465,671

N/A

9705000070

Germany

1,826,463

2,052,398

12.4%

9705000070

Greece

928,254

1,801,489

94.1%

9705000070

France

1,694,952

1,250,293

-26.2%

9705000070

Israel

598,212

1,178,980

97.1%

9705000070

Australia

100,768

1,080,405

972.2%

9705000070

India

26,958

1,052,933

3,805.8%

9705000070

Gabon

0

941,213

N/A

9705000070

Congo (ROC)

519,087

906,600

74.7%

9705000070

Argentina

0

759,100

N/A

9705000070

Denmark

31,771

725,025

2,182.0%

9705000070

Norway

0

513,717

N/A

9705000070

Japan

14,909

401,146

2,590.6%

9705000070

Canada

268,177

385,249

43.7%

9705000070

Guinea

0

347,100

N/A

9705000070

Lebanon

6,546

300,000

4,483.0%

9705000070

Spain

3,494,617

242,406

-93.1%

9705000070

Morocco

182,020

219,148

20.4%

9705000070

Austria

119,628

176,227

47.3%

9705000070

Madagascar

16,360

169,900

938.5%

9705000070

Turkey

399,462

147,669

-63.0%

9705000070

Indonesia

14,631

136,714

834.4%

9705000070

Papua New Guin

46,648

135,924

191.4%

9705000070

Costa Rica

0

135,867

N/A

9705000070

Russia

32,599

134,972

314.0%

9705000070

Finland

0

120,101

N/A

9705000070

Syria

6,870

101,349

1,375.2%

9705000070

Netherlands

30,632

78,996

157.9%

9705000070

Sweden

81,865

77,937

-4.8%

9705000070

Nigeria

7,500

73,203

876.0%

9705000070

Mali

254,207

53,128

-79.1%

9705000070

China

59,219

42,288

-28.6%

9705000070

Ghana

20,080

36,463

81.6%

9705000070

Uruguay

0

33,539

N/A

9705000070

Burkina Faso

0

33,205

N/A

9705000070

Bulgaria

18,000

31,379

74.3%

9705000070

Belgium

21,686

25,036

15.4%

9705000070

South Africa

54,816

23,764

-56.6%

9705000070

Ireland

32,363

22,790

-29.6%

9705000070

Ukraine

170,670

21,257

-87.5%

9705000070

Switzerland

8,710,037

20,870

-99.8%

9705000070

Taiwan

0

20,000

N/A

9705000070

Saudi Arabia

0

19,540

N/A

9705000070

Poland

21,379

11,575

-45.9%

9705000070

Solomon Is

0

11,500

N/A

9705000070

Brazil

3,000

10,000

233.3%

9705000070

Uzbekistan

3,000

8,793

193.1%

9705000070

Jordan

4,600

8,000

73.9%

9705000070

Colombia

0

6,127

N/A

9705000070

Romania

5,500

5,500

0.0%

9705000070

Togo

0

4,730

N/A

9705000070

Iceland

0

3,704

N/A

9705000070

Chile

3,500

3,500

0.0%

9705000070

Thailand

10,221

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Mauritania

7,425

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Albania

2,070

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Korea

202,730

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Serbia

2,575

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Algeria

13,152

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Singapore

49,200

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Malaysia

7,794

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Macedonia

42,800

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Niger

6,992

0

-100.0%

9705000070

New Zealand

168,454

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Czech Republic

3,730

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Philippines

22,465

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Cameroon

9,022

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Senegal

3,207

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Mexico

19,380

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Peru

59,014

0

-100.0%

9705000070

New Caledonia

3,750

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Portugal

18,655

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Burundi

14,500

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Pakistan

25,228

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Afghanistan

5,699

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Fr Polynesia

2,500

0

-100.0%

9705000070

Montenegro

25,000

0

-100.0%

Total

37,378,536

45,647,923

22.1%

The numbers posted here do not document the broader category of
"collections and collectors' pieces of zoological, botanical,
mineralogical, anatomical, historical, archeological, paleontological,
ethnographic or numismatic interest" classified by HTS 9705. The statistics posted are only those covering HTS 9705's subcategory of archaeological, historical, and ethnological material under HTS 9705.00.0070. Note too that HTS 9705 excludes "antiques" over 100
years old (e.g., silverware and furniture), which are classified elsewhere by
HTS 9706.

2015 ABA Journal Blawg 100 Honoree

2014 ABA Journal Blawg 100 Honoree

2014 Daniel Webster International Lawyer of the Year award given to Rick St. Hilaire

"Rick St. Hilaire, who has become an authority on cultural heritage law, received the International Law Section’s 2014 Daniel Webster International Lawyer of the Year award at an Oct. 30 reception in Manchester, hosted by Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green." - NH Bar News, November 19, 2014

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